Zhang He had divided his thirty thousand troops among three camps, each nestled against a perilous mountain pass: one at Dangqu, one at Mengtou, and one at Dangshi. On that day, he dispatched half of each camp's forces to attack Baxi, leaving the other half to guard their positions. Scouts soon reported to Baxi that Zhang He's army was approaching. Zhang Fei urgently summoned Lei Tong for counsel. Lei Tong said, "The terrain around Langzhong is rugged and treacherous, perfect for an ambush. General, you lead the main force into battle, and I will strike from the flanks with a surprise attack—Zhang He will be captured." Zhang Fei assigned five thousand elite troops to Lei Tong and set out himself with ten thousand men. Thirty li from Langzhong, they met Zhang He's army. The two forces drew up in formation, and Zhang Fei rode forward, challenging Zhang He to single combat. Zhang He, gripping his spear, spurred his horse forward. They fought for over twenty exchanges, when suddenly shouts erupted from Zhang He's rear ranks—they had spotted Shu banners fluttering behind the hills, and confusion spread. Zhang He, unwilling to press the fight, wheeled his horse and fled. Zhang Fei pursued, cutting down the fleeing men. Then Lei Tong's forces burst forth from the front, closing the trap. Zhang He's army was utterly routed. Zhang Fei and Lei Tong chased them through the night, all the way to Dangqu Mountain.
Zhang He regrouped, holding his three camps with renewed determination. He reinforced them with rolling logs and heavy stones, refusing to come down and fight. Zhang Fei set up his own camp ten li from Dangqu. The next day, he led his men to provoke a battle, but Zhang He, from his mountain stronghold, feasted and drank to the sound of drums, ignoring the challenge. Zhang Fei ordered his soldiers to hurl insults, but Zhang He would not emerge. Frustrated, Zhang Fei returned to camp. The following day, Lei Tong went to the base of the mountain and issued a challenge, but again, Zhang He stayed put. Lei Tong drove his men up the slope, only to be met with a hail of logs and stones. He was forced to retreat, and troops from the Mengtou and Dangshi camps descended, routing him. The next day, Zhang Fei tried again, but Zhang He remained silent. Zhang Fei's men screamed every vile curse imaginable, and Zhang He shouted back from his heights. Zhang Fei racked his brains but could find no solution. For over fifty days, the two armies faced each other. Zhang Fei pitched his main camp before the mountain and began drinking every day, until he was roaring drunk. Then he would sit at the base of the mountain, hurling abuse.
Liu Bei sent an officer with provisions for the army, and the man reported back that Zhang Fei was drinking all day long. Liu Bei was alarmed and hurried to ask Zhuge Liang about it. Zhuge Liang smiled and said, "So that's it! There can't be good wine at the front. We have plenty of fine brews in Chengdu. Let's load fifty jars onto three carts and send them to General Zhang at the front." Liu Bei said, "My brother has always ruined things by drinking. Why would you send him more wine, Master?" Zhuge Liang laughed and replied, "You've been brothers with Yide for so many years, and you still don't understand his character? Yide has always been fierce, but when he captured Yan Yan during the Sichuan campaign, he released him out of respect—that's not the act of a mere brute. Now, he's been facing Zhang He for over fifty days. He gets drunk, sits before the mountain, and curses his enemy as if no one else existed. This isn't a love of wine—it's a plan to defeat Zhang He." Liu Bei said, "Even so, we mustn't be overconfident. Let's send Wei Yan to assist him." Zhuge Liang ordered Wei Yan to deliver the wine to the front. On each cart, a yellow banner was planted, inscribed with the words: "Fine Wine for the Army's Use." Wei Yan obeyed and brought the wine to Zhang Fei's camp. He reported that their lord had sent the gift. Zhang Fei received it with a bow, then instructed Wei Yan and Lei Tong to each take a unit of troops as left and right wings. "When you see the red banner rise in camp," he said, "advance with all your strength." He then had the wine jars arranged within his tent and ordered his soldiers to open the banners and drink with great fanfare.
A spy reported this to Zhang He, who climbed to the mountain peak to observe. He saw Zhang Fei sitting in his tent, drinking, while two soldiers wrestled before him for entertainment. Zhang He growled, "Zhang Fei insults me too much!" He gave the order to descend and raid Zhang Fei's camp that night, commanding the Mengtou and Dangshi camps to support him from left and right. That night, under the faint light of the moon, Zhang He led his men down the mountain slope, straight to Zhang Fei's camp. In the distance, he saw candles burning brightly and Zhang Fei drinking inside his tent. Zhang He gave a loud shout, and the mountain drums thundered in support as he charged into the central command. But there sat Zhang Fei, motionless. Zhang He spurred his horse forward and thrust his spear through him—it was a straw effigy. He wheeled his horse to retreat, but then a volley of signal bombs erupted from behind the tent. A general blocked his path, his round eyes blazing, his voice like rolling thunder: it was Zhang Fei himself, spear in hand, charging straight at him. The two generals fought for thirty to fifty exchanges in the firelight. Zhang He looked desperately for help from his other two camps, but their rescue forces had already been driven back by Wei Yan and Lei Tong, who had seized both camps in the chaos. Seeing no aid coming, Zhang He was in despair when he saw flames rising from the mountain—Zhang Fei's rear forces had taken his own stronghold. All three of his camps were lost. Zhang He had no choice but to flee to Wakou Pass. Zhang Fei's great victory was reported to Chengdu. Liu Bei was overjoyed, finally understanding that Yide's drinking had all been a ruse to lure Zhang He down the mountain.
Meanwhile, Zhang He retreated to Wakou Pass, having lost twenty thousand of his thirty thousand men. He sent a messenger to Cao Hong begging for reinforcements. Cao Hong was furious. "You ignored my orders and insisted on advancing," he roared. "Now you've lost a key pass, and you dare come begging for help?" He refused to send troops and instead sent a messenger to urge Zhang He to fight. Zhang He's heart was filled with dread. He devised a plan, dividing his forces into two groups to lie in ambush in the rugged terrain before the pass. He instructed them, "I will feign defeat. Zhang Fei will surely pursue me. When he does, cut off his retreat." That day, Zhang He led his men forward and encountered Lei Tong. After only a few exchanges, Zhang He feigned defeat and fled. Lei Tong gave chase. The hidden troops from the west sprang forth, blocking his path back. Zhang He turned back and ran Lei Tong through with his spear, killing him.
The defeated soldiers reported Lei Tong's death to Zhang Fei. Zhang Fei himself rode out to challenge Zhang He. Zhang He feigned defeat again, but Zhang Fei did not pursue. Zhang He turned back, fought a few more exchanges, then fled again. Zhang Fei knew it was a trap. He withdrew his army and consulted with Wei Yan. "Zhang He used an ambush to kill Lei Tong," he said. "Now he wants to trick me. Why don't we turn his own strategy against him?" Wei Yan asked, "How?" Zhang Fei replied, "Tomorrow, I'll lead the main force forward. You follow with elite troops. When the ambush springs, you split your men and attack them. Use a dozen carts loaded with brushwood to block the mountain paths and set them on fire. I'll take the opportunity to capture Zhang He and avenge Lei Tong." Wei Yan accepted the plan.
The next day, Zhang Fei advanced. Zhang He's army met him, and they clashed. After ten exchanges, Zhang He feigned defeat again. Zhang Fei led his infantry and cavalry in pursuit, and Zhang He fought as he retreated, drawing Zhang Fei through the mountain pass. There, Zhang He turned his rear guard into the vanguard, made camp again, and engaged Zhang Fei, expecting his two ambush forces to spring and surround him. But the ambushers had already been met by Wei Yan's elite troops. Wei Yan drove them into the pass, blocked the mountain road with carts, and set them ablaze. The dry grass and trees on the slopes caught fire, smoke filled the paths, and the ambushers could not break out. Zhang Fei pressed his attack relentlessly. Zhang He was utterly defeated. He fought desperately to cut a path and fled back up to Wakou Pass, where he gathered his shattered forces and refused to come out again.
Zhang Fei and Wei Yan besieged the pass for days but could not take it. Realizing a direct assault was futile, Zhang Fei withdrew his army twenty li. He then took a few dozen horsemen, including Wei Yan, and went to scout the mountain paths himself. Suddenly, they saw several commoners, each carrying a small bundle, climbing through the rugged terrain by grasping vines and creepers. Zhang Fei pointed at them with his whip and said to Wei Yan, "The key to taking Wakou Pass lies with these few villagers." He ordered his soldiers, "Don't frighten them. Bring them here gently." The soldiers called them over to Zhang Fei's horse. Zhang Fei spoke kindly to calm them and asked where they were coming from. The villagers replied, "We are all residents of Hanzhong, trying to return home. We heard of the great battle and that the main road through Langzhong is blocked. We are taking a path through Cangxi, via the Zitong Mountain and the Guijin River, to get back to Hanzhong." Zhang Fei asked, "How far is this path to Wakou Pass?" The villagers said, "The small road through Zitong Mountain leads directly to the rear of Wakou Pass." Zhang Fei was delighted. He brought the villagers into his camp, gave them food and drink, and instructed Wei Yan: "Lead a force to attack the front of the pass. I will personally take a light cavalry unit through Zitong Mountain to strike the rear." He then had the villagers guide him, selected five hundred light cavalry, and advanced along the narrow path.
Meanwhile, Zhang He was brooding over the lack of reinforcements. A report came that Wei Yan was attacking the pass. Zhang He armed himself and mounted his horse, ready to go down, when another report arrived: "Fires have broken out in four or five places behind the pass! We don't know where the enemy came from!" Zhang He led his men to meet the threat. As the banners parted, there stood Zhang Fei. Zhang He was horrified and fled down a narrow path. The road was too rough for his horse, and Zhang Fei's pursuit was closing in. Zhang He abandoned his mount, climbed the mountain, and escaped by a hidden trail, with only a dozen men left.
On foot, he made his way to Nanzheng to see Cao Hong. When Cao Hong saw Zhang He with only a dozen survivors, he flew into a rage. "I told you not to go! You signed a pledge that you would! Now you've lost your entire army, and you still have the nerve to show your face instead of dying in battle?!" He ordered his guards to drag Zhang He out and behead him. The Army Supervisor, Guo Huai, stepped forward to counsel him. "An army can be raised again, but a good general is hard to find," he said. "Zhang He is guilty, but he is deeply cherished by the King of Wei. You cannot execute him. Give him another five thousand troops and send him to take Jiameng Pass. That will draw off the enemy's forces from other points, and Hanzhong will be secure. If he fails again, then punish him for both crimes." Cao Hong agreed. He gave Zhang He another five thousand men and ordered him to take Jiameng Pass. Zhang He accepted the command and departed.
Now, the defenders of Jiameng Pass, Meng Da and Huo Jun, learned of Zhang He's approach. Huo Jun wanted to hold the pass and defend. Meng Da insisted on giving battle. He led his troops down from the pass to engage Zhang He, was badly defeated, and fled back. Huo Jun urgently sent a dispatch to Chengdu. When Liu Bei heard the news, he summoned his strategist for counsel. Zhuge Liang gathered all the generals in the hall and asked, "Jiameng Pass is in grave danger. We must recall Yide from Langzhong to drive back Zhang He." Fa Zheng said, "Yide is currently stationed at Wakou Pass, guarding Langzhong—that's also a critical position. We cannot recall him. We should select one of the generals here to go and defeat Zhang He." Zhuge Liang smiled and said, "Zhang He is a famous general of Wei. He's no ordinary opponent. Unless it's Yide, no one can match him." Suddenly, a voice rang out fiercely: "Why does the Master underestimate everyone else?! I may be unworthy, but I am willing to cut off Zhang He's head and lay it before your command!" Everyone looked—it was the veteran general Huang Zhong. Zhuge Liang said, "Huang Zhong, you are brave, but alas, you are old. I fear you are no match for Zhang He." Huang Zhong's white hair bristled with anger. "I may be old," he said, "but my arms can still draw a three-stone bow, and my body still has the strength of a thousand jin! Do you think I cannot defeat that scoundrel Zhang He?!" Zhuge Liang replied, "General, you are nearly seventy. How can you say you're not old?" Huang Zhong strode down the hall, took a great sword from the rack, and whirled it like the wind. He then grabbed a stout bow from the wall and snapped two of them in a row. Zhuge Liang said, "If you insist on going, who will be your second in command?" Huang Zhong replied, "The veteran Yan Yan can go with me. If anything goes wrong, you can have this white head of mine." Liu Bei was overjoyed and immediately ordered Huang Zhong and Yan Yan to go and fight Zhang He. Zhao Yun protested, "Zhang He is personally attacking Jiameng Pass! Master, do not treat this like a game. If Jiameng falls, Yi Province is in danger. Why send two old men to face such a mighty foe?" Zhuge Liang said, "You think these two are too old to accomplish anything. I predict that Hanzhong will be won by these very two men." Zhao Yun and the others smirked and withdrew.
When Huang Zhong and Yan Yan arrived at the pass, Meng Da and Huo Jun were also privately laughing at Zhuge Liang's poor judgment. "Such a critical place, and he sends only two old men!" they said. Huang Zhong said to Yan Yan, "Did you see how they looked at us? They mock us for our age. Now we must achieve a great feat to win their respect." Yan Yan replied, "I am ready to follow your orders." The two discussed their plan. Huang Zhong led his men down from the pass to face Zhang He in battle. Zhang He rode out, saw Huang Zhong, and laughed. "At your age, have you no shame? You still want to fight?" Huang Zhong roared back, "You whelp, you mock my age, but my blade is not old!" He spurred his horse forward and engaged Zhang He. They fought for about twenty exchanges, when suddenly shouts rose from behind. It was Yan Yan, who had taken a hidden path and struck Zhang He's rear. Attacked from both sides, Zhang He was utterly defeated. He fled through the night, retreating eighty or ninety li. Huang Zhong and Yan Yan withdrew their forces to camp and held their positions.
When Cao Hong heard that Zhang He had lost another battle, he was about to punish him again. Guo Huai said, "Zhang He is being pressured. He might defect to Shu. Send some generals to assist him—and to keep an eye on him, so he doesn't get any ideas." Cao Hong agreed. He sent Xiahou Shang, the nephew of Xiahou Yuan, and Han Hao, the brother of the surrendered general Han Xuan, with five thousand troops to reinforce Zhang He. The two generals set out immediately. When they reached Zhang He's camp and asked about the situation, Zhang He said, "That old general Huang Zhong is a formidable warrior, and with Yan Yan helping him, we must not underestimate them." Han Hao said, "I know how dangerous that old villain is. He and Wei Yan surrendered Changsha and caused my brother's death. Now that we've met, I will have my revenge!" He and Xiahou Shang then led their fresh troops forward from the camp. Huang Zhong had been scouting for days and knew the terrain well. Yan Yan said, "Ahead lies a mountain called Tiandang. Cao Cao stores all his grain and fodder there. If we can take that place and cut off his supplies, Hanzhong will be ours." Huang Zhong replied, "Your words match my thoughts. Do as I tell you." Yan Yan followed the plan and led a detachment away.
When Huang Zhong learned that Xiahou Shang and Han Hao were approaching, he led his men out of camp. Han Hao stood before the formation and cursed him. "Faithless old villain!" he shouted, then spurred his horse forward, spear leveled at Huang Zhong. Xiahou Shang joined the attack. Huang Zhong fought both of them with all his might. After more than ten exchanges, Huang Zhong feigned defeat and fled. The two generals pursued him for over twenty li, capturing his camp. Huang Zhong hastily built another makeshift camp. The next day, Xiahou Shang and Han Hao came again. Huang Zhong rode out, fought a few exchanges, and fled again. The two generals pursued for another twenty li and captured his new camp. They summoned Zhang He to guard the rear camp. Zhang He came to the forward camp and warned them, "Huang Zhong has retreated two days in a row. There must be a trick." Xiahou Shang rebuked him, "You're so timid, no wonder you've been defeated so many times! Say no more! Watch us win glory!" Zhang He withdrew in shame. The next day, the two generals fought again, and Huang Zhong retreated another twenty li. The two generals pressed on. The following day, they advanced, and Huang Zhong fled at the mere sight of them. After several consecutive defeats, he retreated all the way back to the pass. The two generals set up camp at the base of the pass, while Huang Zhong held the fortifications and refused to come out. Meng Da secretly sent a report to Liu Bei, saying, "Huang Zhong has lost several battles in a row and is now trapped in the pass." Liu Bei anxiously asked Zhuge Liang about it. Zhuge Liang said, "This is the old general's strategy to make the enemy proud." Zhao Yun and the others did not believe it.
Liu Bei sent Liu Feng to the pass to reinforce Huang Zhong. Huang Zhong met him and asked, "Young General, why have you come to assist?" Liu Feng replied, "My father heard that you had suffered several defeats, so he sent me." Huang Zhong laughed. "This is my plan to make the enemy arrogant," he said. "Watch tonight's battle. I will reclaim all our lost camps and capture their grain and horses. I've only been letting them hold those camps to store their supplies. Tonight, Huo Jun will guard the pass. General Meng, you can help me move the grain and seize the horses. Young General, watch me crush the enemy!"
That night, at the second watch, Huang Zhong led five thousand men out of the pass and charged down the mountain. Xiahou Shang and Han Hao, having seen the pass remain quiet for days, had grown careless. Huang Zhong smashed into their camp, taking them completely by surprise. Men had no time to don their armor, horses no time to be saddled. The two generals fled for their lives, and their own troops trampled each other in the panic, with countless dead. By dawn, Huang Zhong had captured three camps in a row. The camps were littered with discarded weapons, saddles, and horses, all of which he ordered Meng Da to move into the pass. Huang Zhong then urged his men forward. Liu Feng said, "The troops are exhausted. Let them rest a while." Huang Zhong replied, "If you don't enter the tiger's lair, how can you catch the cub?" He spurred his horse forward, and his soldiers, inspired, pressed on with all their strength. Zhang He's troops, thrown into chaos by their own fleeing comrades, could not hold their positions and retreated, abandoning camp after camp, all the way to the banks of the Han River.
Zhang He found Xiahou Shang and Han Hao and said to them, "Tiandang Mountain is where the grain is stored. It connects to Michang Mountain, which is also a supply depot. This is the lifeline of the Hanzhong army. If we lose it, we lose Hanzhong. We must think of a way to protect it." Xiahou Shang said, "Michang Mountain is guarded by my uncle, Xiahou Yuan, with his troops. It connects to Dingjun Mountain, so we need not worry about that. Tiandang Mountain is held by my cousin, Xiahou De. Let's go to him and help defend it."
So Zhang He and the two generals went to Tiandang Mountain that very night. They met Xiahou De and told him everything. Xiahou De said, "I have a hundred thousand troops here. Take some of them and go recapture your old camps." Zhang He said, "We should just hold our positions and not act rashly." Suddenly, the sound of drums and gongs shook the mountain, and a report came that Huang Zhong's army had arrived. Xiahou De laughed loudly. "That old fool knows nothing of strategy! He's just relying on brute courage!" Zhang He said, "Huang Zhong is cunning, not just brave." Xiahou De replied, "His troops have marched a long way from Shu. They are tired and deep in enemy territory. That's a sign of poor planning!" Zhang He insisted, "Still, we must not underestimate him. We should just hold our ground." Han Hao said, "Lend me three thousand elite troops. I will attack him and guarantee victory." Xiahou De gave him the men, and Han Hao descended the mountain.
Huang Zhong formed his troops to meet him. Liu Feng advised, "The sun is already setting. Our men are exhausted from the long march. We should rest for a while." Huang Zhong laughed and said, "No. Heaven has delivered us a rare opportunity. To not seize it would be to defy fate." With that, he raised the war cry and advanced with a thunderous roar. Han Hao led his men to meet the charge. Huang Zhong raised his blade and struck Han Hao down with a single blow, killing him instantly. The Shu army shouted in triumph and surged up the mountain. Zhang He and Xiahou Shang rushed to meet them. Suddenly, shouts erupted from behind the mountain. Flames shot into the sky, lighting up the entire peak. Xiahou De led his men to fight the fire, but there he met the veteran Yan Yan, who cut him down with one swing of his sword. Huang Zhong had sent Yan Yan ahead to lie in ambush in a hidden spot. When Huang Zhong's main force attacked, Yan Yan set fire to the piles of brushwood. The flames roared, illuminating the entire valley. After killing Xiahou De, Yan Yan attacked from the rear. Zhang He and Xiahou Shang, caught between two fires, could not hold their position. They abandoned Tiandang Mountain and fled to Dingjun Mountain, seeking refuge with Xiahou Yuan.
Huang Zhong and Yan Yan secured Tiandang Mountain, and the news of their victory flew to Chengdu. When Liu Bei heard it, he gathered his generals to celebrate. Fa Zheng said, "When Cao Cao conquered Zhang Lu and took Hanzhong, he made a mistake. Instead of using that momentum to attack Ba and Shu, he left Xiahou Yuan and Zhang He to hold the region and returned north with his main army. Now Zhang He has just been defeated, and Tiandang is lost. My Lord, if you take this opportunity to lead a great army personally to attack, Hanzhong can be yours. Once we have Hanzhong, we can train our troops, stockpile grain, and wait for the right moment. From there, we can advance to punish our enemies, or retreat to defend ourselves. Heaven has given us this moment—we must not waste it." Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang both agreed wholeheartedly. They issued orders for Zhao Yun and Zhang Fei to lead the vanguard. Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang would personally lead a hundred thousand troops. They set a date to attack Hanzhong and sent proclamations to all outposts to be on high alert. It was the autumn of the twenty-third year of the Jian'an era, on an auspicious day.
Liu Bei's main army marched out from Jiameng Pass and set up camp. He summoned Huang Zhong and Yan Yan to his tent and rewarded them handsomely. "Everyone said you were too old," Liu Bei said. "Only the Master knew your ability. And now you have achieved a great victory. But Dingjun Mountain is the shield of Nanzheng and a major supply depot. If we can take Dingjun, the road to Yangping will be secure. General, do you dare to take Dingjun Mountain as well?" Huang Zhong eagerly accepted the challenge and prepared to lead his men out. But Zhuge Liang hurriedly stopped him. "Old General, you are brave," he said, "but Xiahou Yuan is no match for Zhang He. Xiahou Yuan is deeply versed in military strategy and understands the art of war. Cao Cao relies on him as a shield for the western frontier. He once stationed troops at Chang'an to hold off Ma Chao, and now he holds Hanzhong. Cao Cao entrusts no one else with this task because Xiahou Yuan has the talent of a true commander. You have defeated Zhang He, but I cannot be sure you can defeat Xiahou Yuan. I was thinking of sending someone to Jing Province to recall Lord Guan, for only he can match this foe." Huang Zhong replied with fierce determination, "In ancient times, Lian Po, at eighty, could still eat a bushel of rice and ten catties of meat. The feudal lords feared his strength and dared not invade Zhao. And I am not yet seventy! If you call me old, I will take no second-in-command. I will go with just three thousand of my own men and cut off Xiahou Yuan's head, laying it before your command!" Zhuge Liang repeatedly refused, but Huang Zhong insisted on going. At last, Zhuge Liang said, "Since you insist on going, I will send someone to accompany you as an overseer. How about that?"
Truly, to spur a general to action, one must use the goad of humiliation; a young man's fire cannot match an old man's will. Who this overseer would be, and what fate awaited them, will be revealed in the following chapter.